Ingredient: buttermilk

Rhubarb Carrot Cake

CELEBRATING MOTHER’S DAY!

Here in Canada, we set aside the second Sunday in May to honor our mother’s with expressions of love and gratitude.

As I grow older, I realize how many ways I unconsciously emulate my mother. I loved everything about her and as a kid I could never imagine life without her. But in the natural sequence of events, that’s not how it works. I guess along with many other things, I’m grateful for the fact that she was there through my childhood. She passed away at the age of sixty and although she is no longer on this earth, her wonderful memory will live on in our hearts forever.

We are fortunate to still have Brion’s mother, Dolores. We have been able to spend a bit of time with her recently, which was so precious.

This blog is especially to honor: the special memories of my mother for her endless giving of selfless love – my mother-in-law, Dolores, for her kind ways and raising that ‘special’ man I love sharing my life with –my sister Loretta who passed away 3 years ago and to my sisters, Marilyn & Rita, who give so much of themselves to be the great mom’s they are.

In honor of these special women, I’d like to post something to ‘celebrate’ this day. My choice this year is a rhubarb carrot cake with rhubarb cream cheese frosting.

Rhubarb has been a staple in Canadian history since the days of early European settlement, valued for its hardiness, versatility, and medicinal properties. Rhubarb was a reliable perennial for homesteaders and pioneers due to its ability to thrive in Canada’s cold climate. When the homesteaders moved on, and their farms crumbled back into the ground, the rhubarb patch often persisted. The same is true of modern-day cities; every time a house in an older neighborhood is demolished, the rhubarb often remains. The distinctive plants that remain on abandoned farmsteads across the country are a testament to this hardy heritage.

I recall with fond memory, my mother having at least six huge rhubarb plants that bordered her large produce garden on our family farm. At that time I really didn’t take a lot of interest in them, they were just always there and grew huge without anything more than rain and sunshine. Now, of course I love using rhubarb in everything I can think of, sweet or savory.

Vegetable cakes are great for making the most of the seasons. This recipe for rhubarb carrot cake is a recent, modern fusion of two older dessert traditions: carrot cake and rhubarb cake. The combination likely emerged in the late 20th or early 21st century as bakers experimented with popular seasonal flavors. What makes this rhubarb carrot cake so appealing is how the sweet, earthy carrots balance out the sharp tartness of fresh rhubarb. The carrots add this incredible moisture and natural sweetness, while the rhubarb provides these amazing tangy bursts that keep every bite interesting.

This ‘sophisticated’ cake features winter carrots and the first rhubarb of the year in a marvelous merging of two seasons. Of course, the rhubarb cream cheese frosting is truly ‘the icing on the cake’.

I hope anyone trying this recipe enjoys it as much as Brion & I did.

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 Rhubarb Carrot Cake
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Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword rhubarb carrot cake
Servings
Ingredients
Cake
Rhubarb Cream Cheese Frosting
Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword rhubarb carrot cake
Servings
Ingredients
Cake
Rhubarb Cream Cheese Frosting
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Rhubarb Frosting
  1. Combine chopped rhubarb, sugar & a splash of water in a saucepan on medium low heat. Stir regularly until rhubarb reduces. Adjust heat to low & continue stirring for 20 minutes until rhubarb thickens into a jam. Transfer rhubarb jam to a glass bowl & cool in the refrigerator.
  2. Whip butter & cream cheese on high until creamy. Add the rhubarb jam & vanilla to cream cheese mixture. Beat until combined. Add powdered sugar 1/2 a cup at a time & beat until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter either a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or 2 round 8-inch cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar & buttermilk.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger & salt. Add to the egg mixture & blend well. Add the carrots & rhubarb, gently fold until evenly incorporated into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) & bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Assembly
  1. If baking cake in the 2 layer version, spread the bottom of one cake with a bit of the frosting then top it with the other layer. Frost entire cake with remaining rhubarb frosting & decorate as you wish.
Recipe Notes

• Since there is only the two of us, I only used one layer & froze the other one for another time.

Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Bay (Biscuit) Bread

Copycat recipes have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among amateur cooks looking to recreate the flavors and presentation of their favorite restaurant dishes. A copycat recipe can be an excellent way to enjoy a favorite dish without the hassle of dining out or ordering in. By blending precision and creative ingenuity, a knowledgeable cook can craft a perfect facsimile of any beloved dish to impress even the most discriminating palate.

When Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits first hit tables in the early 1990s, the biscuits were called ‘freshly baked, hot cheese garlic bread’. By 1996, they had stepped into their proper name: Cheddar Bay Biscuits. In 1992, Kurt Hankins, then-head of Red Lobster’s culinary development team, created these delectable biscuits. Inspired by Texas Toast and French bread, he adapted a traditional biscuit recipe by substituting sugar with garlic and adding cheese. 

Contrary to what the name suggests, Cheddar Bay isn’t an actual location. Red Lobster used this whimsical name ‘to reflect the seaside atmosphere of Red Lobster restaurants.’ Initially, the biscuits were served on trays in the waiting area as an appetizer while guests waited for their tables. The marketing tactic worked, but it became too successful. Demand for Cheddar Bay Biscuits overwhelmed the servers in the lobby, so Red Lobster moved the biscuit-dining experience to the tables.

Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits are top tier bread sides, so why not make it into loaf form? This bread is oozing with cheesy flavor and the garlic butter topping is the icing on the quick bread you might say!

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 Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Bay (Biscuit) Bread
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Course side dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Red Lobster copycat cheddar bay biscuit bread
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Bread
Topping
Course side dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Red Lobster copycat cheddar bay biscuit bread
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Bread
Topping
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Bread
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray or grease a 12 x 4-inch loaf pan.
  2. Combine yeast, lukewarm water & 1 tsp sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes or until thick & foamy.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar & Old Bay seasoning.
  4. Using a pastry blender, cut cold butter into dry ingredients until butter is the size of peas. Add buttermilk then yeast mixture. Stir in cheddar cheese & dill. Do not over mix.
  5. Place batter in greased baking pan & lightly level out.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes or until bread tests done with a wooden pick.
Topping
  1. In a small dish, whisk together melted butter & garlic powder. Brush with garlic butter.
  2. Serve warm.

Scallops Benedict

Eggs Benedict is a common North American breakfast or brunch dish, consisting of two halves of an English muffin, each topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. It was popularized in New York City.  

Many variations of eggs Benedict exist, involving replacing any component except the egg such as:

  • Avocado toast eggs Benedict – substitutes toast in place of the muffin and adds sliced avocado.
  • California eggs Benedict – adds sliced avocado. Variations may include sliced tomato instead of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Atlantic – substitutes salmon which may be smoked, in place of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Blackstone – substitutes streaky bacon in place of Canadian bacon and adds a tomato slice.
  • Eggs Florentine – adds spinach, sometimes substituted in place of the Canadian bacon. 
  • Eggs Mornay – substitutes Mornay sauce in place of the Hollandaise.
  • Eggs Neptune – substitutes crab meat in place of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Omar (steak Benedict) – substitutes a small steak in place of Canadian bacon and sometimes replaces the Hollandaise with bearnaise.
  • Huevos Benedictos – adds sliced avocado or Mexican chorizo, topped with salsa and Hollandaise sauce.
  • Irish Benedict – substitutes corned beef or Irish bacon in place of Canadian bacon.

Being seafood lovers, Brion & I are having a pre-Christmas treat of scallops benedict for brunch today. Yum!

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 Scallops Benedict
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
Other Ingredients Needed
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
Other Ingredients Needed
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Biscuits
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & baking soda. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until coarse crumbs. Add chopped chives. Toss together & make a well in the center. Pour in the buttermilk, stirring with fork to form ragged dough.
  3. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently until dough comes together. Pat or roll into 1 1/2-inch thickness. Using floured cutter, cut out rounds. Place, well spaced, on lined baking sheet. Dough should make 6 large biscuits.
  4. Bake in the 400 F. oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 F. & baking for an additional 10 minutes or until tops of the biscuits are light golden. Remove from oven & keep warm in a basket with a tea towel over it.
Hollandaise Sauce
  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, watching it until the color turns light golden brown. Pour it off immediately into a heat proof measuring cup, leaving the sediment behind.
  2. In a blender, combine egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice & zest for a few seconds. With the blender on medium speed, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream. The sauce should thicken quickly. Pour into a bowl & keep the bowl warm in a warm water bath while preparing the other components of the scallops benedict.
Scallops
  1. Season the scallops with Old Bay seasoning, salt & pepper. Pan sear them in a hot pan with butter & olive oil for only a few minutes per side. Keep warm. Prepare scrambled eggs.
Assembly
  1. Slice biscuits in half, using bottoms as the base. Divide scrambled eggs evenly between the 6 bottom biscuit halves & top each with a couple of seared scallops. Pour some hollandaise sauce over scallops & sprinkle with chopped bacon. Garnish with chopped chives. Top with the second half of the biscuit if you wish.

Apple Crisp Snack Cake

In Canada, apples are available throughout the year. About 100 species of apples are grown in the country. With their bright colors, crisp texture and clean, slightly spicy flavor, apples are the perfect fall icon.

Today’s blog recipe is a bit of a different take on a beloved old classic. Apple crisp is a North American dessert which combines tender apples covered with a delectable crunchy topping. It is one of the common desserts that does not have the regular bottom crust and uses sliced or diced apples, generously doused in cinnamon and sugar, as the bottom layer.

The streusel which covers the apples can employ a wide variety of different flour types, nuts, and oats, commonly combined with butter and sugar. It results in a crumbly topping, which usually completely coats the apples, allowing them to release and cook inside the flavorful juices.

Apple crisp is believed to have stemmed from the British crumble, and today these two classics merely differ in their names. Even though the North American crisp was particularly made with oats, which resulted in a crunchier coating, nowadays both varieties can employ various ingredients.

This warm and spicy ‘apple crisp snack cake’ is a comforting twist on the favorite fall dessert. Filled with apples and topped with more apples, cream cheese drizzle the perfect crispy streusel. Orange pumpkins might be more popular this month, but there’s no better time than now to take advantage of apple fresh season.

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 Apple Crisp Snack Cake
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple crisp cupcakes
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Cake
Apple Topping
Drizzle
Baked Crisp Topping
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple crisp cupcakes
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Cake
Apple Topping
Drizzle
Baked Crisp Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 x 8inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Peel, core & grate apples. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom & salt together in a medium bowl & set aside.
  3. Using a mixer, cream butter & sugar until light. Scrape the bowl & add the whole egg, mixing on medium-high for about a minute. Scrape the bowl again & add the egg white & vanilla; mix for another 2 minutes.
  4. Alternately fold in flour mixture & buttermilk, then gently fold in grated apples.
  5. Pour/spread batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack.
Baked Crisp Topping
  1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place all ingredients except butter in a bowl. Combine well then add softened butter. Mix until the mixture begins to form pea-sized clusters. Spread mixture evenly on the parchment lined cookie sheet, then bake at 350 F. for 5 minutes. Stir the topping around a bit, then bake for another 5 minutes until it begins to turn golden brown. Let crisp topping cool completely to room temperature. If crisp mixture is too chunky break it up with your fingers slightly.
Apple Topping
  1. Place apples , lemon juice & water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until softened, but not falling apart. Add brown sugar, cinnamon & salt. Cook for a minute to dissolve sugar. Remove & cool until cake is baked & ready to top.
Drizzle
  1. Sift powdered sugar with salt. Set aside. Cream softened cream cheese & butter with a mixer for about 2 minutes. Add vanilla & mix to combine. Add powdered sugar & slowly incorporate into wet mixture. Add milk & beat to create a drizzle consistency.
Assembly
  1. When cake is cool, carefully & evenly spread apple topping over top of cake. Using a small piping bag, drizzle icing over apples (using a spatula, lightly spread a bit of drizzle on sides). Next, top cake with baked crisp topping. Slice & serve.
Recipe Notes
  • To make your own buttermilk, place 2 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice in your measuring cup & add milk to equal 2/3 cup, stir & let stand until room temperature.
  • If you prefer cupcakes over the snack cake, no problem. Same idea just a different shape. Your choice!

 

Savory Heirloom Tomato Tart

There’s something real special about using heirloom tomatoes as opposed to hybrid varieties. Heirloom tomatoes are ‘breed true’, meaning that the seeds can be saved to grow more of the same tomatoes year after year.  Generally, they are more expensive because they are not as prolific as hybrids, and they do not ship or store well.

The seeds from heirloom tomatoes (also called heritage tomatoes) have been selected over many years for desirable traits, such as size, color, and taste.  They are open-pollinated, meaning that bees, moths, birds, bats, wind, or rain pollinate the tomato flowers.

These days, many hybrid tomatoes are bred for traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and the ability to ship and store well.  This decreases costs for farmers and consumers and minimizes waste due to spoiled produce.

However, this cost savings and efficiency comes at the expense of flavor.  When you cross two tomato plants to make the offspring disease resistant or highly productive, you may also lose other traits, such as rich flavor.

This is exactly what has happened to many hybrid tomato varieties: they have lost some of the sugar and nutrient content that makes heirloom tomatoes taste sweeter and juicier. These little gems add such a special touch to this savory summer tart.

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 Savory Heirloom Tomato Tart
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Course Main Dish
Keyword savory heirloom tomato tart
Servings
Ingredients
Filling
Parmesan Buttermilk Pastry
Course Main Dish
Keyword savory heirloom tomato tart
Servings
Ingredients
Filling
Parmesan Buttermilk Pastry
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Filling
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut tomatoes into ½-inch-thick slices. Place about 7 or 8 slices (enough to cover top of pie) on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cover with additional paper towels, and reserve.
  2. Arrange remaining tomatoes in a single layer on a lightly greased wire rack set on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Bake in preheated oven until wilted and slightly dried out, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  3. Make Parmesan-Buttermilk Pie Crust. Instructions below.
  4. While pie crust cools, cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high until fat is beginning to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chopped shallots, and cook until bacon is crisp and shallots are caramelized, 6 to 7 more minutes. Stir in garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon mixture to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Cool 20 minutes.
  5. Stir together cheese, ranch dressing, basil paste, chives, Dijon, and egg until combined. Sprinkle with pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt & spices. Fold in bacon mixture.
  6. Gently spread a third of cheese mixture onto cooled Parmesan-Buttermilk Crust; layer with half of the roasted tomato slices in slightly overlapping pattern. Spread another third of cheese mixture on top of tomato slices. Repeat with remaining roasted tomato slices and cheese mixture. Top with reserved sliced fresh tomatoes, pressing filling gently into crust. Shield edges of pie with aluminum foil.
  7. Bake in preheated oven until filling is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let stand 1 hour before serving. Garnish with chopped green onion or chives.
Pastry
  1. Pulse flour, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until combined. Add butter and shortening. Pulse until butter and shortening are pea size pieces, about 5 times. Drizzle in buttermilk processing until dough begins to just come together. Gather and lightly knead dough into a ball on a large piece of plastic wrap; flatten into disk and wrap tightly. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll dough on a floured surface into a 15- to 16-inch circle about 1/3 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Trim edges leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold edges under and crimp. Freeze dough at least 20 minutes.
  3. Line piecrust with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 400°F 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake until edges are golden and bottom of crust is set, about 8 more minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
  • Whether using store-bought or homemade dough, don't forget to blind-bake the crust (bake it a bit on its own) before adding the filling. This extra step will keep the crust from turning soggy as the pie bakes.
  • Another good pastry alternative would be one with cornmeal in it.

Apricot Couscous Cupcakes

Want an unusual dessert? Try swapping out some of the flour for couscous in a cupcake batter. You’ll be amazed at the result.

A major complaint about couscous sometimes is the lack of flavor but this is where having it as dessert comes in handy. Incorporating apricot puree and spices into the couscous batter gives the cupcakes an amazing flavor and texture.

Couscous, the justly celebrated masterpiece of Moroccan cooking, is actually a pasta, though it`s often mistaken for a grain.

Couscous (pronounced ‘koos-koos‘) is now widely available in packaged form in most supermarkets. Couscous are the yellow granules of semolina made from durum wheat. Durum is the hardest variety of the six classes of wheat and has the highest protein content of all wheat. Because of this, it’s ideal for making high quality pasta and is used by both American and Italian manufacturers. It’s also used to make couscous in America and Latin America. If these pastas were made of the softer white wheat flour that egg noodles use, they would lose their shape.

There are three types of couscous:

  • Moroccan couscous -Fine, used for savory as well as dessert couscous.
  • Israeli couscous – Medium, used for savory dishes also called pearl couscous.
  • Lebanese couscous – Coarse, more difficult to work with, used for savory dishes.

Adding some cream cheese frosting topped with apricot puree and sprinkled with couscous rolled in cinnamon takes this dessert to the next level!

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 Apricot Couscous Cupcakes
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Course dessert
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword apricot couscous cupcakes
Servings
Ingredients
Couscous
Apricot Puree
Cupcakes
Frosting
Topping
Course dessert
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword apricot couscous cupcakes
Servings
Ingredients
Couscous
Apricot Puree
Cupcakes
Frosting
Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Couscous
  1. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water & 1/2 tsp salt to boiling. Add couscous, cover & remove from heat. Allow to sit 5 minutes then fluff with a fork & set aside to cool.
Apricot Puree
  1. Place water, sugar & apricots in a saucepan. Bring to a boil & simmer until soft. Place in a food processor & pulse to make a puree.
Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a small bowl, combine 2 cups cooled couscous (reserve a small amount for topping), flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices & salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar. Add 1 cup apricot puree & whip until light & fluffy. Add vanilla & egg yolks; whip well.
  4. Gradually add couscous mixture then buttermilk & combine only until blended. Whip egg whites until frothy, adding a pinch of salt. Using a spatula, blend egg whites into the batter.
  5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until testing with a toothpick & it comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
  1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & butter until completely smooth, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down sides to ensure that the mixture is mixed evenly.
  2. On low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar. Once combined, scrape down sides of bowl & increase the speed to medium, beating just until well combined & creamy.
Decorating
  1. Place cream cheese topping in a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. With another smaller piping bag, using a round tip, drizzle apricot puree then sprinkle with cinnamon coated (cooked) couscous.

Millet Tea Cake

Millet is not just a key ingredient in bird seed and animal feed.  While it is used for these purposes, millet has been an important food source for a large part of the world’s human population dating back to prehistoric times!

It’s a primary ingredient in flatbreads, beer and other fermented beverages, and porridges. Though technically a seed, millet functions like a whole grain, and you can cook with it like you would other whole grains such as rice or quinoa.

The name ‘millet’ refers to several different varieties of a cereal grass, the most common in North America being the proso variety, while ‘pearl millet’ is the most common variety cultivated worldwide. India and parts of Africa are where millet is thought to have evolved.

Millet falls on the sweeter end of the whole grain scale; some people liken the flavor to corn. It also readily takes on the flavor characteristics of the ingredients in a sauce or a dressing. The small, butter-yellow grains cook up light and fluffy, similar to couscous. When ground to a flour, millet’s soft, starchy consistency makes it ideal for gluten-free baking. On its own, millet can taste somewhat bitter, which is why it’s best blended with other mild flours; doing so allows millet’s other flavor notes (buttery, nutty, grassy) to shine. 

Millet is available pearled or hulled: opt for hulled, which is the true whole-grain variety (hulled still retains plentiful fiber, as only the outermost layer is removed). Out of the hull, millet seeds look like tiny yellow beads with dark dots on the side where the plant’s stem was attached. 

Millet is one of the ways in which you can add the perfect gentle crunch to baked goods such as this millet tea cake.

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 Millet Tea Cake
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword millet tea cake
Servings
Ingredients
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword millet tea cake
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper making sure to have overlap on the sides for easy removal from the pan.
  2. Whisk oats, flour, sugars, baking soda & salt together. Add buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, millet & dates. Whisk to blend. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water & let stand for 5 minutes. Scrape into baking pan & level out with a fork.
  3. Bake cake 25-30 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. During the cooling stage drizzle cake with lemon curd if you wish. Slice & serve warm or at room temperature.

Spiced Rhubarb & Orange Cakes

Having frozen rhubarb to bake into a spiced rhubarb & orange cake in the middle of winter is a treat! Rhubarb is treasured by many simply for its sophisticated flavor. Those who love rhubarb, value its tart pungency, which more often than not is mellowed with sugar and made aromatic with vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or orange rind.

Sweets are the staple at the end of a meal; the luring incentive for the kids to eat their vegetables, the weakness for many dieters, and the go-to fix for those with sugar addictions.

Hot or cold, a simple mini dessert can turn an average meal into a memorable event. Rhubarb and orange is a much-loved flavor combination, making this recipe a perfect winter dessert. 

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 Spiced Rhubarb & Orange Pudding
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword spiced rhubarb & orange pudding
Servings
Ingredients
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword spiced rhubarb & orange pudding
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Place orange in a deep saucepan, cover with water. Place saucepan over high heat & bring to a boil. Place a lid on it & reduce heat to low. Simmer until the orange is very tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Drain, quarter & set aside to cool completely.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter six-1 cup ovenproof baking dishes.
  3. Place rhubarb, brown sugar, spices, vanilla & water in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer & cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until rhubarb thickens. Remove from heat & set aside.
  4. Place cooled orange quarters with the skin on into a food processor & puree until smooth. Add flour, butter, buttermilk, sugar & eggs & process until smooth.
  5. Divide batter among prepared baking dishes. Place on a baking tray & bake for 40 minutes or until tops are golden.
  6. Serve warm topped with spiced rhubarb & whip cream.

Guava Cream Cheese Scones

Over the years, I have used guava paste numerous times. I found it was equally as good in both sweet and savory preparations, adding a nice ‘zing’ due to the natural acidity in guava fruit.

This specialty ingredient is made by cooking together guava fruit and sugar until it is very, very thick and then leaving the mixture to dry to remove excess moisture. This results in a paste that keeps well and is very flavorful. Guava paste is typically sold in short, wide cans or plastic packaging.

Guava paste is an ingredient found in many Cuban, Caribbean and South American recipes. A common pairing with cheese as an appetizer or baked into pastries as part of the filling. Also known as goiabada or pasta de guayaba, has a sweet, floral taste lending a distinct and tropical flavor to anything it is used in.

Today, I’m using it in some scones with cream cheese. Should be good!

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 Guava Cream Cheese Scones
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Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, Cuban, Ecuador, Filipino, Mexican
Keyword guava cream cheese scones
Servings
Ingredients
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, Cuban, Ecuador, Filipino, Mexican
Keyword guava cream cheese scones
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a round 8" baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar & baking soda. With fingers, cut in cold butter & cream cheese until mixture resembles small peas. Do NOT over work dough. Carefully stir in guava paste cubes with a fork.
  3. In a small cup, beat egg slightly then combine with buttermilk & vanilla. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring ONLY until combined.
  4. Pour dough into lined baking pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden & tests done. Slice into 8 wedges & serve warm.

Apricot Oat Breakfast Cake

Who can turn down cake for breakfast? It says right there in the recipe that ‘Served warm, it makes a delicious breakfast bread’. Although, bread might be stretching the truth a bit too far. Its cake, let’s be honest.

Oats are like the chameleon of the breakfast table, occupying many forms and disguising themselves as a bevy of morning meal options. The baked oats trend has been converting skeptics in huge numbers these days.

This lightly sweetened, apricot oat cake is a breakfast cake that celebrates apricots. A combination of regular all-purpose flour with oat flour results in the perfect crumb and a lovely flavor.  Because oat flour is surprisingly light and retains moisture makes it perfect for pairing as well with the coarser, grittier texture of cornmeal. The slightly sweeter taste of oat flour not only complements the corn flavor, it also lets you use a little bit less sugar.

There’s just something comforting about breakfast cake in the morning!

Print Recipe
 Apricot Oat Breakfast Cake
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword apricot oat breakfast cake
Servings
Ingredients
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword apricot oat breakfast cake
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Spray an 8-inch round baking pan with cooking spray. Combine apricot halves and boiling water and let stand 15 minutes to soften. Drain apricots and arrange in bottom of pan.
  3. In medium bowl, whisk together oat flour, white flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In separate bowl, stir together whole egg, egg whites, buttermilk, and olive oil. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour egg mixture into well, stirring just until moistened. Pour batter over apricots and smooth top.
  5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.
Recipe Notes
  • It’s super easy to make your own oat flour. You’ll need a food processor or a good blender, and oats, that’s it! You use raw oats, any type, and process for a few seconds until they turn into a fine powder.... oat flour!
  • TO MAKE OAT FLOUR USE:
  • 2 1/2 cups oats - use steel cut or rolled
  • Put the oats in a food processor or high speed blender. Blend until the oats become a fine powder. This will only take a few seconds in a high speed blender, and a little bit longer in a food processor. Store the oat flour in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 1 1/4 cup oats will yield approximately 1 cup flour.